Dance the Line
by JT4Life
Summary: P/O. Most lines were meant to be crossed... eventually.... SPOILERS for season 2x01!


_I had to write this down before I lost my train of thought.... just had to! 'Cuz this was such an awesome scene in the premiere._

_Disclaimer: Fringe isn't mine, never will be, but that's what fanfics are for! Enjoy._

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**Dance the Line**

Olivia had been sitting still for longer than she could usually bear. Usually. But under the circumstances, not excluding the fact that she'd been in a traumatic accident and that some psycho nurse had tried to kill her all in the span of a few days, she was nearly at her wit's end. The gun that she still couldn't load lay in wait beneath her pillow, and that thought scared her more than almost anything else; her weapon was readily accessible, but utterly useless to her should she need it. Arms wrapped around her frame as a chill meandered down her spine, Olivia fixed her gaze on New York where it lay just beyond her window. However, it had the opposite effect than that of the gun. New York would be wonderfully useful right now; something to take her mind off everything, even if it were just for one precious moment, but it was out of her reach by a long shot.

Her desperate, frantic thoughts strained to find a topic that she could focus on to relax. Then his name drifted across her consciousness like a warm August breeze that kicked up the scent of everything summer. Peter. Olivia's muscles relaxed, her fingers that had been knuckle-white from unintentionally gripping her forearms a little too tightly returned to their normal tone. He was someone who made her feel safe. Around him, she was comfortable. And hell, she could do with a bit of comfort now, not that she would ever admit it, not even silently to herself. His presence was her own non-prescribed narcotic, and it was a sweet balm for her, both mentally and physically. It was enough to just be around him to feel the effects. However, recently, be it the real drugs that were being pumped through her IV, or something else entirely, his effect was more potent than before. She blinked, having not truly discovered it until now. Despite what her logical mind argued, there was no way Olivia could fool herself with the idea that drugs were the reason that her attraction to Peter had grown substantially. She also couldn't deny that it seemed to go both ways. Olivia knew it could never be, never grow to exist as more than what it already was. Unfortunately, there was a line. Said line had been toed in the past on numerous occasions, even tenderly patted with a full foot every now and then. That was as far as things could be allowed to go.

Knock, knock, knock.

Well, speak of the devil.

For there he was in all his glory, face illuminated by the late afternoon sun so that he literally shone, a figure of dashing charm in her doorway holding a bouquet of flowers.

The corners of her mouth curved up gently into a smile, one that actually reached her eyes. Olivia couldn't help it; the smile grew as they fired each other playful looks while Peter placed the vase on the small table just so.

"So who was she?"

Peter shrugged and walked around to the opposite side of her bed, the one closer to the windows. "Walter thinks she was a shape-changing soldier from another universe. Thinks that might be where you went." He paused. "Hmm. Do you think it's a bad sign that I can say that out loud and neither one of us thinks I'm crazy?"

Olivia allowed herself to laugh softly for a moment, eyes looking anywhere but at him. Damn those butterflies. And as they settled, so did reality; it settled right back down to earth and her face grew somber.

"She thought I knew where something was hidden."

Peter was suddenly solemn, all trace of his joking from not a moment ago gone.

"No matter what happened to you and no matter where you went," he spoke gently, yet with determination, "Walter will figure it out."

She nodded a little, now unable to look anywhere away from his face.

Peter glanced to the door as if to check that they really were alone and then sat down on the side of her bed, his weight shifting the angle of the mattress and adding body heat to the blankets. "Olivia, I need to ask you something."

"Sure." It was a reply that came without thought or consideration. She felt no barriers between them just now. It was an odd feeling, to be able to talk and listen without the strain of holding anything back.

A jumble of foreign words came tumbling out of his mouth with a grace and ease she couldn't fathom. He must have said those words before to be able to convey them with such grace and elegance. What she wasn't respecting was his response.

"You said that to me. Just after you woke up; do you remember it?"

Olivia was left stunned, shaking her head slightly. "No." Then she hazarded a guess. "Latin?"

"Mm-hm. Greek." Peter dropped his head for a moment, but when he brought it back up, he wore a smile. "My mother used to say that to me every night before I went to bed."

"There really just isn't a point where things just can't get weirder is there?" she chuckled softly, eyes full of astonishment and incomprehension. Peter returned her smile, the sunlight still playing wonders on his features. "What does it mean?"

A barely audible sigh escaped his lips. "It means 'be a better man than your father'."

Olivia nodded, realizing that they were traveling into the previously uncharted territory that was Peter's past. Speaking would be the wrong thing to do, so she sat silently, patiently, waiting for him to continue.

"Walter was already gone." A shrug, and then his gaze rose to become level with hers. "It was like a code between my mother and me. It meant keep your people close. Take care of the people you care about."

Something inside Olivia compelled her to speak and the words just came out of her mouth without reserve. "Well, you're good at that." So much emotion was conveyed in those words; the 'thank you' she'd never been able to say, the 'I'm sorry' that hadn't surfaced, the raw gratitude she felt towards him, and the undying love she possessed for the man in front of her, though what kind of love that was, she was still unsure.

The charmer smile said that he'd gotten her message in its entirety. "It's good to see you again, Olivia Dunham."

"It's good to see you too," she replied, unable to look away from his exquisitely handsome face.

A silent conversation seemed to be taking place between them, one that continued the relay of deep emotion that Olivia had begun. For a moment, there was nothing else in the world, nothing but them and their mutual affection for each other. An affection that had been tried and trampled on in the past but still held fast and became only stronger, despite the wear and tear. She could feel it in her marrow, the bond between them that no lines, imaginary or real, could ever confine. Just starring into his eyes was almost enough to tell him nearly everything she wished she could….

"It's time to check you vitals."

The both looked up at the sound of the nurse's voice.

Peter turned back to her, offering one last grin. "You should get some rest," he said, placing a gentle hand on her arm as he stood. The small bed's sudden lack of warmth was instantly noticeable to Olivia.

He was nearly at the door when Olivia's voice stopped him.

"Peter? Is it true that they're shutting us down?"

Despite the serious expression on his face, a mischievous glint in his eyes gave him away. Olivia could almost see the smirk hiding behind the façade.

"No."

With that last remark, Peter was gone.

Olivia found herself in the same predicament as before Peter's visit, but this time, she had a set topic to busy her mind with. Upon re-examining the line, Olivia knew that things had gone further than they ever had in those last few minutes. The boundary had not been breached, but there was a noticeable difference in the integrity of the fortifications. Taking a deep breath, Olivia arrived at her answer; one that she already knew while Peter was here, but was unable to confess to. They had pushed further than ever before, the emotion-thickened room and silent conversations that were not her imagination stood testimony to that. What had began as an innocent nudge or push had slowly formed a dance that grew in intensity and complexity with every twist and turn. The truth of it was blatantly obvious to Olivia, and she suspected that it was no different in Peter's eyes. Both knew, and yet both still respected and acknowledged the presence of the line. Someday, when the dance became too intense, had achieved the point where the flawless motion of two bodies met speed and elegance, then she knew all too well that both would be too caught up in the frenzy to even notice the line as they danced right over it.

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_So, how was it?? Reviews are love :D - concrit or just a thumbs up, i'd love to hear your thoughts!_

_I'm working on How Can You Live over the weekend and will hopefully have it ready for you guys by monday, sorry about the delay! An annoying little thing called 'school' got in the way... :P_


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